Never a Dull Moment

I had originally thought of naming this post "Settling into a Routine", but then I thought better of that.  There's never really a true routine here.  Every day is different and brings something new: a new sight, a new friend, a new experience, a new thing learned, a new adventure, even.  That said, I thought I'd simply catch you up on some of the "new" things happening this past week.
Missionary friends of ours working in Fada (halfway between Mahadaga, where we are stationed and Ouagadougou, the capital) have decided that God is calling them home and are finishing up their last term in Burkina in November.  We are sad to see them go and will miss them so much!  With their leaving, however, we've had the opportunity to acquire their motorbike: a Honda 250.  Like the Yamaha Rhino we had shipped over on the container when we first arrived, it is strictly for ministry purposes, of course!;)  Seriously, though, during rainy season especially, motorcycles are such a convenient way to get around the rural Mahadaga area to visit clients.  So we are blessed to have the use of a well-taken-care-of, fairly powerful bike.
[caption id="attachment_691" align="alignleft" width="300" caption="Business use only, folks...really!"][/caption]
We've decided to start our own garden in our backyard.  In the past we had been sharing a garden with the Walsh family, but we felt we needed a little more space and we thought we might do a little better job at actually taking care of our garden if it was in our own backyard.  So, we've started the process of prepping the ground and outlining the site for the garden, hoping that Dale can transfer a few of the tomato and pepper plants he started in "recycled" tin cans.  After finally agreeing on which corner of our yard would work best for a garden, we also realized that we would need to have one of our trees cut down in order to allow for enough sun in the garden.  We hate to cut any trees down around here, but we want to give our garden the best chance we can at succeeding, so we finally decided to bite the bullet and have it done.  There is actually a chain saw somewhere on the station, but it is not very big and none of our Burkinabe helpers know how to use it, so the tree had to be cut down the old-fashioned way.  They lopped off all the branches, then got about halfway through the trunk and then they tied some rope to the top of the trunk and attached the other end to the winch on the front of the Yamaha Rhino.  If we get a chance to in Ouaga, we'll try and post some video of it, but suffice it to say that it came down loud and hard, but it was pretty cool!  And I have to salute the guys who worked so hard to chop through that trunk, and then chop it up again into smaller pieces.  Now they've spent the last two days digging a crater in our backyard in an effort to get the trunk and roots out of the ground!
[caption id="attachment_689" align="alignleft" width="225" caption="It only took them about 30 minutes to get this far into the trunk with the puniest little ax I"][/caption]	[caption id="attachment_690" align="alignleft" width="300" caption="Another 30 minutes of tying the rope to the tree and the winch, then gunning the rhino and the giant finally toppled. "][/caption]
[caption id="attachment_700" align="alignleft" width="300" caption="I can't believe they actually managed to pull that thing out of the ground! It's a monster!"][/caption]	[caption id="attachment_703" align="alignleft" width="300" caption="There's the hole that monster was in!"][/caption]
The highlight of our week was a trip to one of the nearby waterfalls.  The four of us hopped into the Yamaha rhino and drove it about 4 kilometers before turning off the main road and weaving along a bunch of donkey-cart paths through the cotton, millet and corn to the lower of two waterfalls.  I can never really figure out how Dale remember where to turn or how to get there, but somehow we find it every time.  Once at the lower waterfall, we had to continue on foot.  We skirted around to the right side of the pool at the bottom of the falls and then climbed up through towering weeds to the top of the waterfall.  Then came the treacherous part: crossing the top waterfall in order to continue on up along the stream bed to the upper falls.  Besides a little scary and dangerous, it was hot and sticky going, but when we arrived, it was worth it.  The upper falls don't get much "traffic", so we had the place to ourselves, and the waterfall is beautiful.  Perhaps if you show up for a visit sometime, we'll take you there!
[caption id="attachment_698" align="alignleft" width="300" caption="The boys are piled into the Yamaha Rhino, ready for our trip to the waterfall."][/caption]	[caption id="attachment_697" align="alignleft" width="300" caption="This is THE Mahadaga bridge. Looks like the donkey isn't too keen on crossing it. Glad I was riding a Rhino instead of a donkey."][/caption]
[caption id="attachment_694" align="alignleft" width="300" caption="Driving along the donkey-cart path to the lower waterfall, we came up on this "road block" - a donkey cart full up with freshly harvested millet. We had to drive through their millet field to get around it."][/caption]	[caption id="attachment_696" align="alignleft" width="300" caption="Turn left at the next corn field and voila! There's the lower waterfall!"][/caption]
[caption id="attachment_709" align="alignleft" width="225" caption="Had to carry Joel through the tall weeds...we woulda lost him otherwise!"][/caption]	[caption id="attachment_699" align="alignleft" width="300" caption="Through the jungle of weeds and out we come at the top of the lower waterfall."][/caption]
[caption id="attachment_687" align="alignleft" width="300" caption="It may look like a simple matter of wading across, but the rocks underneath were very slippery, and just behind Dale was..."][/caption]	[caption id="attachment_688" align="alignleft" width="300" caption="...the edge of the waterfall! Slipping really isn't an option."][/caption]
[caption id="attachment_686" align="alignleft" width="300" caption="Caleb had fun looking for monkeys with his binoculars as we tramped up the stream bed toward the upper falls."][/caption]	[caption id="attachment_702" align="alignleft" width="300" caption="After a long, sweaty climb, the reward is in sight."][/caption]
[caption id="attachment_701" align="alignleft" width="214" caption="Beautiful!"][/caption]	[caption id="attachment_693" align="alignleft" width="300" caption="After crossing the lower waterfall and wading through the stream, our socks and shoes needed a little drying out."][/caption]
[caption id="attachment_695" align="alignleft" width="300" caption="Yes, folks, I did it. I carried Joel on my back the whole way back down to the lower falls. AND I was wearing a skirt."][/caption]
Today the mason crew finally arrived to begin work on our kitchen expansion/renovation project.  I'm so excited!  Not to complain too much considering that my neighbors usually cook outdoors, but I've been feeling a bit cramped in my little kitchen for the last 3 years.  Actually, cooking outdoors (at least when it's not raining) doesn't sound half bad.  At least there I'd have some space!  But then, I guess I wouldn't have cupboards and counter tops within easy reach.  Not that I do now.  So, this lack of storage space and work space has finally driven us to bite the bullet and invest in a kitchen upgrade.  We are basically planning to double the size of our current kitchen (which is only 8x12 at the moment) by adding on a 2nd "room".  At the moment, I can't even fit the fridge and freezer in the kitchen, so they are sitting in our dining room.  The addition will allow us to move the fridge/freezer into the kitchen, add a 2nd utility sink (which will be really helpful for laundry), add more counter space, and add a bunch more cupboards and shelves for storage.  Considering that we generally only go grocery shopping every other month, you can imagine that I usually bring back quite a load of canned goods whenever we return from one of these shopping trips.  Finding space to put it all away can be challenging.  And then there's the problem of finding storage space whenever I start canning.  So, today they started digging the foundation, and maybe in two weeks or so they will have the outer shell (walls, floor, roof) completed.  After that, it's painting and installing cupboards and counters!  I might actually have room to do some real Christmas baking this year!!!:)
[caption id="attachment_692" align="alignleft" width="225" caption="It may not look like much, but it's a start!"][/caption]	[caption id="attachment_716" align="alignleft" width="300" caption="By the way, thought you might be interested in seeing what a \"septic drain\" looks like here. We dug this one behind where the kitchen sink and laundry area will be."][/caption]
In other, not so fun news, Joel is sick.  He started with fevers and vomiting Sunday afternoon, and has had the low grade fever off and on ever since.  The vomiting has turned into diarrhea, and since he seems to have suddenly developed an aversion to disposable diapers, we've been having a lot of "fun" dealing with the aftermath of that.  So, some new experiences out here have nothing to do with living in another country, I guess!  Little boys are always an adventure!  And for those who are wondering, I did go have him tested for malaria, and the test came back negative, so at least we can rule that out.  Now if we could just know what it is!  Joel is not one of those cuddly, sleepy patients, so it's trying and interferes a lot with Caleb's schooling.  We are planning a trip to Ouagadougou, leaving this weekend, so if he's not better by then, we'll be able to take him to a doctor next week.  And, we should have better internet access, which means we should be able to skype with any of you who might be interested in doing so!
Until next time, may your adventures draw you closer to Him!

September 2010 Prayer Letter

Please click on the link to view the prayer letter pdf file.

September 2010 prayer letter

After a momentous month for the Johnson clan that found us in New York, Casablanca, Ouagadougou and Mahadaga, we've finally managed to put together a prayer letter.  We've survived the first month of our second term, moved back into our house, and started home-schooling the boys.  So there are plenty of ways that you can pray for us.  Thank you so much for your prayer support, and we hope that these letters can continue to be a useful tool for you to know how to pray for us and our neighbors.  Let's make an impact in Mahadaga together.

Love,

Dale, Florence, Caleb and Joel

School Days and MKs

This week I started homeschooling the boys.  They're only 2 and 4, so it's only preschool, but I wanted to capitalize on the progress we'd made with Caleb when he attended preschool while we were in the US.  If you heard any of our presentations while we were home, you'll know that we were looking for a teacher to come and teach our boys so I wouldn't have to do the homeschooling myself.  I've been a bit nervous about it, knowing that I'm not the most patient person in the world, tend towards being a perfectionist, and Caleb seems to have inherited my independent (and somewhat stubborn) personality.  Choosing our home school curriculum before we left was a bit of a project.  For one thing, I felt overwhelmed with the many possibilities and a bit stressed out as I was trying to figure out how in the world I was going to help my children "keep up" with the American education system.  It seems like we're pushing our children to learn how to read and sit in school at a younger age than ever.  Not that I doubt my little boys' geniuses, but behaviorally, I'm not so sure they're ready for all these advanced programs and options!  Of course, they aren't growing up in the structured environment most of their American counterparts are growing up in.  They have a lot more freedom here, and honestly, I'm kinda glad I'm raising my boys in this context, despite the lack of resources and diminished exposure to so many "modern" things.  After all, I want what most moms want: for them to have fond memories of their childhood.  That starts in the home, of course, and we work at creating a loving environment to the best of our knowledge and understanding like any other parent does.  But I like to fancy that they'll have the kind of childhood memories that you read about in books like Tom Sawyer or Huck Finn - the part about spending hours out of every day outside, climbing mango trees, exploring, pretending to hunt wild lions, and playing king-of-the-hill on the sand pile.  So what if they don't ALWAYS wear their shoes, or if I have to change their clothes three times a day and give them at least as many baths.  They're boys!

And they're MKs.  Having been one myself, I have some idea of what goes on in those little heads and hearts.  Maybe they don't have the same access to all the educational privileges they might have back in the US, but they've entered the school of life at a much earlier age than some.  "World views" was a class I remember taking in college, but they're in this class every day.  Philosophy.  World religions.  Interpersonal Communication.  Cross-cultural communication.  Foreign languages.

So, in the end, we chose our preschool curriculum based partly on recommendation, partly on what sounded "doable" to us, partly on the flexibility of the program, partly on its Christian base, and partly on the breadth covered.  Yeah, you got it.  We pretty much closed our eyes and jabbed our fingers at one of the options and picked that one.  Well, maybe that's stretching it a little, but having all these misgivings about teaching my own children, it felt that way.  I've taught Sunday school classes and Spanish elementary classes before, no problem.  I'd even say I could have been pretty good at it if I'd chosen to be a teacher (well, if I could get my impatience under control, anyway).  When I was 5, we had a dress-up day at school where we were supposed to come dressed like what we wanted to be when we grew up.  I remember wearing my hair up, a pair of my mom's high heels, a long pearl necklace, a skirt, and a big pair of "grandma" glasses in an effort to look like a teacher.  Twenty-seven years later, though, faced with a small class of two, toddler boys, and I'm having anxiety attacks!

Well, despite the aforementioned inner drama, the first week of school has come and gone and, surprisingly, it hasn't been too bad.  We all need to get used to this new routine.  I gotta get used to my boys' attention spans - what they can't really handle and where they need to be "pushed" a little.  They need to get used to mommy as teacher - what they can get away with and what is now a new boundary.  But, despite the somewhat unscientific way of choosing our curriculum, I really rather like it.  It suits my style (very hands on) and takes a lot of pressure off of the boys to have to sit still for too long at one given time.  And it's flexible enough for daddy to step in and rescue the situation when I have just had it.  Unlike teachers in a "real" classroom, I can just re-shelf the book when I'm fed up and let Dale pull it back out when he gets home from his work at the Center.

It's only been a week, but I have already run across a few scenarios that make homeschooling (with an American curriculum) in an overseas context unique.  For example, this week's unit in our Bernstein Bears' Book of Science and Nature is all about winter.  Talking about snow and cold temperatures and when the first day of winter is and the changes of the season.  Well, seeing as how there are only two seasons here (wet and dry), this is proving to be a hard lesson to do "hands on".  Fortunately, we have lots of pictures from the wonderful blizzards we had last winter while we were in the US.  And we've improvised some, too.  A trip to the Mahadaga market produced two long-sleeved pull-overs (we forgot to bring any with us) that turned out to be ice-hockey shirts, so we could talk about winter dress and winter sports.  The freezer doubles as a glacier.

I've also been working through a "perceptual growth" workbook with Caleb that is supposed to prepare and test for school readiness.  Most of the exercises have to do with eye-hand coordination, fine-motor skills, visual memory, association, ability to distinguish between similarities, etc.  One of the exercises had a picture of a pile of leaves on the left, then two pictures of a house to the right, one without a tree, and one with a tree.  Caleb was supposed to pick the picture with which the pile of leaves should be associated.  Considering that the last time he saw "Fall" in the US he was 8 months old, he doesn't have a very strong association for this (though he could associate the idea of a tree with leaves).  Later on in the same exercise, the picture on the left was of a fork.  The two on the right were a soup bowl and a knife.  We never give our boys knives to eat with, we rarely eat meat here, and when we do, it's always ground beef, so we don't have to cut it.  Most of our neighbors eat with their hands.  So, again, the association between a fork and knife wasn't quite as "simple" as one might think.  Of course, once we talked about how you can't use a fork to eat soup, Caleb got it, but he has to make the association by eliminating the other option, not because the two ideas "belong together" in his mind!

Well, as usual, I'm getting long-winded as I muse on these things.  Hey, it's my blog...I can rant a little if I want!;)  But I'll leave you with a few pictures of the first week of school for your amusement.

[caption id="attachment_678" align="alignleft" width="300" caption="Making cookies after reading the story "If You Give a Mouse a Cookie.""][/caption]

[caption id="attachment_675" align="alignleft" width="300" caption="After reading "Jack and Jill", we filled our own pails with water and found ways to amuse ourselves, including "water painting" on the patio behind the kitchen."][/caption]

[caption id="attachment_674" align="alignleft" width="225" caption="After reading the story "George shrinks," we dressed up in daddy's clothes and talked about what it would be like if we shrank, too!."][/caption]

[caption id="attachment_673" align="alignleft" width="300" caption="The beginnings of Burkina Faso's first-ever ice hockey team."][/caption]

[caption id="attachment_672" align="alignleft" width="300" caption="Playing with blocks of frozen cheese and ice as we talk about winter and cold."][/caption]

[caption id="attachment_676" align="alignleft" width="300" caption="Back in the classroom, daddy talks to us about the calendar."][/caption]